So I just went back to curly hair last winter and had AWESOME luck with my hair (probably since curly hair is easier to deal with in winter). I was basically using Ouidad moisture lock leave-in and Devacurl Ultra Defining Gel and co-washing with Devacurl with a weekly low poo and my hair was super easy to deal with and looked awesome--definitely good timing because it got me pumped to be a curly girl again!

Now I'm having trouble transitioning to summer because obviously my hair is struggling with the products I was using before. (I have 3A hair if that helps! Not much of a clue about my other hair characteristics though). I've gone on a product junkie rampage buying all kinds of new products and I'm still not having great luck. Most recently my issue is that I keep having a problem with getting sticky hair. I usually low-poo or do a diluted ACV rinse to try to get the stickiness out (I was assuming it's build-up, which I'm not sure it is) but it pretty consistently comes back quickly. I've tried a ton of different products and it's still happening. I live in a very humid area so I'm sure that's somewhat of a factor in this struggle.

Anyone have tips on transitioning to a summer routine? What do you guys do differently in the summer??

anti-humectants can take a few forms, but basically the idea of them as I understand it, is to seal hair to keep from taking on extra moisture (like humidity in summer air) that might cause it to frizz.

Some are natural oils or plant derivatives that are CG friendly. Silicones are also considered antihumectants, but you usually need something stronger than a lowpoo or cowash to remove the buildup from them.

Ughhh I'm getting so frustrated! I tried leaving out the leave-in and that made my hair totally gross. Tried adding an oil to seal my hair before the gel and even though I didn't use much it was kinda greasy and weird. And no matter what I do I have this weird stickiness! I've tried a million different gels (I feel like) and all of them are giving me the same results.

Just to give an idea, I've been alternating between KCKT and As I Am leave in, used the Shea Moisture oil spray as a sealer, I've tried using Curl Keeper and not using it before gel, and I've tried KCCC, EcoStyler, and Devacurl. JEEZ what is going on with this stickiness! It makes it so matted and gross!

Stickiness is hard to nail down to a single source given the info you've provided. Trying to change too much of your routine at once could be part of the problem. I've got a few ideas, but I'd suggest changing one thing at a time, one week at a time, instead of turning on your heels entirely.

Re-reading your first post, a few things are unclear. First, how often are you doing the co-wash? I suspect you might be doing it too often, and the lack of natural oils in your hair as a result is setting the stage for the stickiness.

Another thing is that it doesn't sound like you're using a rinse-out conditioner after your washes. Maybe that could help? I'm thinking more moisture before you step out of the shower leaves less room for water to try and sneak in and frizz you up, and will keep product from getting too funky and sticky on your hair.

I know it can be frustrating. I hope someone else can chime in and help you figure it out.

Thanks so much for the tips! It's possible I'm low-pooing too much because I've been doing it a lot since the stickiness makes me feel like it's build-up which it might not be. When I co-wash use No Poo and One Condition but I've most been using low-poo lately which I'll try cutting down on.

I'll maybe try using less products and just see what works out with my hair. It's so frustrating getting these bad results because then I just keep wanting to change, but I definitely might be doing too much too fast.

GREAT NEWS!! So since you mentioned that I might be co-washing too much, it made me think I might actually be low-pooing too much because I attributed the stickiness to build up and that I might be using too many products.

Today I co-washed and used only KCKT and Curl Keeper (usually I'm one of those people who is inclined to use more products rather than less for a more controlled hold), but my hair looks great today!! No stickiness and the perfect amount of hold. SUPER PUMPED, thank you for your great advice that helped me get to the bottom of the issue!